The Innocent

[Sandra B]

Chapter 28.  Nathan.

Now all the while Paul had been occupied with Chris, and with his own transformation at school, his old friend Nathan had got rather left out in the cold.  It was not entirely Paul’s fault. Nathan had initially reacted to the news of his friend’s decision with disbelief, and when Paul turned up at school as Pauline, he had avoided him whenever he could.  He was still keeping out of the way, even when Paul and his friends were at his own house, but on that particular Saturday afternoon he was at home when the Bunny Club returned from its adventures.  His auntie Catherine was over with Autumn, and they had just all sat down to supper when the mob arrived.  Emilia was first through the front door, closely followed by Imelda, Paul and Chris, with the others bringing up the rear.  To Nathan’s horror, he saw that Paul and Chris were holding hands.
“What the…?”
“Hello Nathan.  I haven’t seen you for days?  How’s it going, mate?”  Paul spoke with total unconcern, not even bothering to let go of Chris’s hand.
Nathan stood up and stared.  “Who’s that?”
“Oh, sorry.  Nathan, this is Chris…er, Christina.  Christina, this is Nathan, my friend - Em’s brother.”
“Hi.  Nice to meet you Nathan.”
Nathan was speechless for a moment.  Then he let rip.
“What the f***, dude?  What’s goin’ on?  First of all you turn all girlie, now you’ve turned gay, too!”
“Nathan, sorry.  I should have talked to you about it.  But it feels as if you’ve been avoiding me all week.  And I’m not gay, for your information.”  But he let go of Chris’s hand.
“Nathan!” said Mrs Dikinson, angrily, “stop it at once!  And please don’t swear.  Remember your cousin is here!”
“I don’t give a crap!  You were supposed to be my best mate, but suddenly I don’t know you any more.  You never said a word to me about it.  All at once you’re the cutest thing in the whole school, and everyone wants to be your friend.  And you can’t even be bothered to ring me or anythin’!”
Paul realised it was true.  In all the excitement he had forgotten all about Nathan.  He had been so busy congratulating himself and revelling in the attention, that his old friend had been pushed out of his mind.  He turned red, and started stammering.
“Nathan, I-I’m so s-sorry.  I didn’t mean…  I mean, I was going to talk to you…only, you know, we didn’t see each other somehow and…”
“Forget it, Paul, or Pauline, or whatever you call yourself now.  I’m not interested.  Go and do kissy kissy with your new girlfriend, and keep out of my way!”  And he headed for the door.
“Nathan, darling…” began Catherine.
“And you can f*** off too, auntie.  I bet you knew all about it and you didn’t give a shit either!”
And he crashed out of the front door, slamming it behind him.  There was silence for a moment.  Then Autumn piped up, “Paul, is that boy there your new girlfriend now?”
They all looked at each other, and Eleanor and Catherine were unable to suppress a smile.  The children were still in shock.
“I’ve been stupid,” said Paul.  “And selfish.”
“Never mind,” said Catherine.  Leave him to me.  I’ll try and sort things out.”

The atmosphere was still subdued even after they had all eaten supper.  Eleanor had called Nathan and established he was at a friend’s house and would be back later.  So she knew he was safe.  Catherine and Autumn were going to stay over so Catherine could talk to Nathan when he got home.  It was one of those situations in which your mother is the last person you want to discuss things with.
Chris, Imelda, and the three younger girls left soon after supper.  Chris gave Paul a hug as he was leaving.
“Talk to Nathan when you get the chance, Pauline,” he whispered.  “I don’t want to mess up your relationship with him.  I’d like us all to be friends, if that’s possible.”
“We’ll see, Christina.  I’m glad you’re keeping your dress on to go home.”
“There’s no point in pretending any more.  My parents are going to find out soon enough, so I might as well prepare them.  I think they’ll accept it.  I trust them.”
Soon afterwards Paul too left and made his way home.  As he walked he thought about what had happened, and by the time he got to his house he was full of guilt and regret.  But he determined he would patch things up with Nathan whatever the cost.

Nathan walked in at ten, and headed up the stairs to his bedroom.
“Darling?” called his mother, “would you like something to eat?”
“No thanks.  I’ve eaten.  Dave’s mum gave me beans and chips.”
“Can we talk?”
“Mum, I’m tired.  I’m going to bed.”
“All right.  But your aunt is going to come up and say goodnight.”
“Whatever.”
Catherine gave him ten minutes, then ascended the stairs and tapped softly at his door.
“Nathan?”
“Yeah, I’m awake.  Come in.”
Nathan was propped up in bed reading a magazine.  Catherine went over and sat down next to him.
“How are you feeling now?”
“Pissed off.  Like everyone played a trick on me.”
“Is that why you told me to f*** off?”
“Oh, come on, aunt!  What did you expect?  I’d just discovered I’d been screwed over by the whole family.  And that my best friend – as was – is totally gay.”
“Well, deciding he likes to present as a girl doesn’t exactly mean he’s gay.”
“Are you serious?  Did you see them?  They were holding hands, for f***’s sake!”
“Nathan.  Please stop swearing!  I will not tolerate it!”
“Sorry.  But you can see my point?”
“You know, as I understand it, Paul never set out to present as a girl.  He was blackmailed into it, until eventually he realised it was what he wanted.”
“Is that true?”
“Yes!  And it’s not so odd, when you’ve been used to being a boy, all in your ugly clothes, trying to be all macho, and suddenly you have the option of being pretty, and wearing cute outfits, and getting loads of attention, and not having to prove anything any more, that you’d realise the advantages.”
“You reckon.  It doesn’t alter the fact he’s a total sissy, and when I get back to school I’m gonna tell everyone about his boyfriend, and how they go about holdin’ hands!”
“Now, Nathan, I don’t think that’s fair.  They are friends, but Paul at least isn’t gay.  You know that.  You’re not so different from him yourself.  Your favourite things were always board games, and dressing up, and stuff like that.  You were never a street kid.  And swearing doesn’t suit you at all.  Wouldn’t you like to have some nicer clothes, and stop hanging out with that crowd of idiots at the shopping centre, like you have been lately?”
“Maybe I would.  But I’m not going to dress up as a girl.  No way.”
“No-one’s suggesting that.  You’re all boy, I know.  But you can have cute boy’s clothes too.  It would do you good to soften up a bit – get back to your true self.  Hang out with Paul and Chris even if they are Pauline and Christina now.  I know you like Paul.  You know you like Paul.  Let me help you.”
“How?”
“I’ll bring you some new gear next week.  Cool stuff.  Stuff that will let you relax and be yourself.”
“Maybe…no girlie clothes, though.”
“Definitely not.  Blue for a boy.  It’s a deal.”
“Okay.  I’m sorry I swore at you.”
“I forgive you.  But watch your step, young man.  I would hate to have to spank you.”
“Shut up, aunt.  I’m going to sleep now.”
“Good night Nathan,” said Catherine, giving him two kisses on his cheek.  “Sleep well.”
“Yeah.  Night night.”
Catherine switched off the light and made her way out of the room.  She had a smile on her face.  “First objective achieved,” she murmured to herself, as she returned downstairs.

[Sandra B]

Chapter 29.  The Harmans.

Anne-Marie rang Miss Williams first thing Sunday morning, and explained that she needed to see her urgently.  Miss Williams immediately suggested she should come round for tea that afternoon.  She like Anne-Marie a lot, and was only too happy to get better acquainted.  So once they were settled in Miss Williams’ lounge, with a pot of tea and a plate of cakes between them, Anne-Marie got straight to the point.
“Margaret, you’ve already done me one great favour, allowing Paul to become Pauline.  May I ask you about something else?  This is not for myself, you understand.  This is just an exploratory question on behalf of another family.”
“Go ahead, Anne-Marie.  Ask away.  And as to doing you a favour, it was nothing of the sort.  You know my philosophy.  And from all the reports I’ve heard, Pauline has been fully accepted by her fellow students, and indeed, several of them are following her lead.  Do you know, there’s been a significant decrease in anti-social behaviour recently, clearly linked to the blurring of the separation between the genders.  It has been as I hoped – the effect has been to defuse the tendency for the boys to feel the need to prove their masculinity.”
“Thank you, Margaret.  Well, let me explain first that Pauline now has several close friends who are girls, and that they have formed a girls-only club.  The latest member of that club is a boy, Chris,  who, like my son, prefers to be identified as female, and is now called Christina.  But he is at a, shall we say, ‘difficult’, school, and if he returns there in his new persona it’s clear he’s going to suffer badly.  We were wondering, if there’s any possibility…”
“There is, as a matter of fact.  Is he Pauline’s age?  If so, we have lost two students recently, so there are places available.  Clearly the matter is urgent, so I would need Christina and his parents to come for interview as soon as possible.  I can arrange it any day they are free.  Can you convey that message to them?”
“Thank you so much, Margaret.  Of course I will.  I’m meeting them tonight.”
“Well they can come to the school on Monday if they wish.  If they do, just ask them to give me a call in the morning, and we’ll fix it up.”
“That’s so kind of you.”
“Not at all.  The more Brook Lane can build a reputation for tolerance and equality, the happier I’ll be.  I hope they decide to follow up.”

So it was that Anne-Marie felt she had good news for Christina and her parents as she waited for them to arrive that evening.  They had agreed they would all come round to her house at eight.   They proved to be everything Chris had said – level-headed, loving, and tolerant.  Bill and Kim Harman, seeing Paul and Chris together for the first time, in their pretty clothes, and recognising their obvious affection for each other, were quite disarmed.  Kim explained to Anne-Marie that Chris was really quite unhappy at his school, that he didn’t seem to fit in at all, and that he had been so much more peaceful and happy since he had met Paul.  So they happily agreed to visit Brook Lane the next day to discuss the possibility of a transfer.  They realised nothing could happen immediately, but they were reassured by Anne-Marie’s insistence that Margaret Williams could be relied upon to act quickly and decisively.

The Harmans met her the next day, Chris was interviewed, and it was agreed that, if the necessary criteria relating to catchment area could be met, he would be welcomed to the school.  But more of that later.  For now, it’s time to return to the recalcitrant Nathan.

[Sandra B]

Chapter 30.  Cool Gear.

It was ten days later, on a Thursday morning, that Mrs Dikinson told Nathan he needn’t get ready for school that day.
“Why, mummy?” he asked, puzzled.
“Your Aunt Catherine will be here soon.  I believe she has some business with you.  I’ve already rung the school to say you won’t be in.  After you’ve had your breakfast and finished drinking your tea, I want you to go to your room and wait for her.”
“Yes, mummy,” he replied, meekly.  Since his tantrum he had been rather subdued, feeling guilty about his behaviour that evening.  But having an unexpected day off school!  That couldn’t be bad, could it.  And he had sort of made up with Paul, or at least, made a start.  They had apologised to each other, and he wasn’t feeling so bad now.  Paul was still his friend, and he had to admit, he did look cute in his girl’s uniform.  And he thought he might be overcoming his jealously of Chris.
He went up and sat on his bed wondering what was in store.  He guessed that she must have some new clothes for him.  That was quite exciting.  So why did he also feel a little apprehensive?  Maybe because she had such an air of authority, and somehow always got him to do what she wanted, whether he wanted it or not.
“I suppose that’s cos she’s a teacher, and she teaches big kids,” he said to himself, out loud.  “I guess she has to be strict to keep order.”
Catherine Lowell was indeed a teacher, teaching years nines and above at a private girls’ school.  She was a form teacher to 9B, and specialised in English and something called Domestic Studies.  This latter subject was nothing like the old ‘domestic science’ intended to prepare young girls for their wifely duties, or even the ‘home economics’ which replaced it.  It was a broad study intended to help the girls understand the need to look after themselves, to cope with childbirth and child rearing if necessary, and to comprehend the complexities of renting or buying a place to live, dealing with all formalities, bills, health registration, and so on, and supporting a family.  Its focus and direction was on self-sufficiency, the assumption that each person must be able to function as an individual, and not rely on partners or family.  It was a popular subject with her pupils, and she derived great satisfaction from providing clear and useful answers to the many questions she was asked, and support to girls who were already having to face difficult problems at home.  The school, the Somerville Academy, was by no means populated by the wealthy, but offered scholarships to girls from all levels of society, who were considered academically able or promising.

Nathan heard her arrive.  It was nine-thirty.  There was a little explosion of greeting and laughter, and shortly afterwards he heard her step on the stair, followed by a soft knock at his door.
“Come in.”
“Hello, Nathan,” she smiled, pushing open the door and advancing into the room, “how are you today?”  She carried a little suitcase in one hand.
“I’m well, thank you, auntie.”
“I expect you’re wondering what’s going on.”
“Yes.  And why aren’t you at your school today?”
“Well, I took the morning off to come and see you.  I don’t teach first period Thursday in any case, so it was just a matter of getting someone to take the register.”
“I see.”
“So, I’ve got a few nice things for you here” – she indicated the case – “which I hope you’re going to like.”
“Things?”  Nathan looked at the case with a little more interest.  Could it be some sort of treat, to show him there were no hard feelings?
“Clothes.”  Okay.  Fine.  But he thought he’d better check, so he added,
“Not…girls’ clothes, aunt?”
“No, no.  Don’t worry.  I think we got that you’re not into that.  These are definitely boys’ things.  In fact, pretty much everything is blue.  Blue means boy, all boy.  The complete opposite of that awful girlie pink.  Okay?”
“I suppose so.  But I’m still not sure why I need new clothes.  The wardrobe’s full.”
“I know.  But these are special.  Just as I said.  Super smart and cool.”
“Okay…” said Nathan, doubtfully.
“Shall we get started?  Here, hop off there and I’ll see what we’ve got.”
Nathan slid off the bed.  Mrs Lowell put the case down where he had been sitting, and flicked open the catches.  She opened the lid.  Nathan peered in.  There was something sparkly on top, and more stuff underneath.  He couldn’t see what.
“Now, let’s see.  First, just to make sure you don’t spoil anything, we need one of these.”  She pulled out something puffy and white.  Nathan’s face fell.
“That’s a pull-up!”
“Yes, dear.  An extra large one, which will fit you perfectly.”
“But…”
“Now, now.  No arguments please, and we’ll get along just fine.  I want you to go to the bathroom, take off all your clothes – all, mind – and put this on.  Bring your clothes back and put them neatly in the drawer.  Understood?”
Nathan looked at his aunt.  He could see she was in earnest.  He knew it was best not to argue.  Angrily, he snatched the offending article from her hand and stomped to the door.
“And no sulking, do you hear me?  Do it with a good grace, and we’ll get on fine.  Otherwise it will be girls’ clothes for you, mister.”

When Nathan returned, Mrs Lowell had laid out some things on the bed.  She looked up.
“Good boy.”
He put away his clothes and waited silently.
“Now, I think this, for starters.  She held out a sky-blue short-sleeved vest or shirt, made of shiny spandex and with a couple of buttons at the neck and a collar like a proper shirt collar.  Nathan took it and pulled it on.  It fitted closely, but comfortably.  Mrs Lowell tugged and straightened it until she was satisfied.  Then she buttoned it up and folded the collar up.
“There.  It just about reaches your waist, which is perfect.  It might ride up a bit – it’s quite snug – but I’m sure you’re not so shy that you’ll be worried about showing your belly button.”
Nathan made a sour face.
She picked a little silver bow-tie on a piece of elastic off the bed.  She slid it over Nathan’s head, adjusted it around his neck, and folded down his collar over the elastic.  She fiddled with it until it was straight..
“That’s very smart don’t you think?”  Nathan didn’t reply.
“Now sit on the bed, darling.  Time for your shoes and socks.  Here we are.  Nice simple white ankle socks – no silly girlish frills – and blue patent strappy shoes.”
“But they’re girls’ shoes, aren’t they?” Nathan exclaimed in dismay.
“Don’t be silly.  They’re just shoes.  There’s no difference between girls’ and boys’ shoes, except colour.  And yours are a lovely blue.  Blue means boy, remember?”
Nathan grimaced, but didn’t respond.
“Now, you’re going to love this.  Look at this lovely little jacket!”
It was a short zipper jacket, in a bluish material which sparkled with rainbow colours when it moved.  It had a blue woven waistband, blue woven cuffs, and a stand-up round collar with a press-stud fastening.  Across the front, in sliver script, one each side of the zip, were the words “Fashion Baby”  She helped him into it and zipped it half-way up.  The waistband fitted him snugly, and rested just above his pull-up.
“Oh, you look great, Nathan!  That’s such a cool jacket!”
“It looks stupid on top of this pull-up, aunt!” he protested.
“Don’t be so impatient, darling.  Here.  The pièce de resistance!”
“No!”
“Yes, Nathan.  Oh, yes.  These are the best quality plastic pants that money can buy.  I got them specially for you.  And boys’, see?  Lovely bright blue, all glossy and smooth, to match everything else.”
“But what am I going to wear over them?”
“Nothing, silly!  These are designed to be worn outside.  They’re heavy duty, quite opaque, you see.  Look, they have a little belt loops and a matching plastic belt with a silver buckle.  See?  It says “Fashion Baby”  all around the belt, and there’s an “FB” monogram on the buckle.  This is high fashion for kids – boys, that is.  Now come here and try them on.”
Nathan was almost in tears as he stepped into the pants.  This was not his idea of a cool outfit.  Catherine pulled them up and attempted to buckle the little belt.  But she seemed to be having difficulty.  She was slightly bending over struggling with the buckle.
“This buckle’s very stiff,” she complained.  “I do have a replacement belt, but I should be able to fix this one.  Hold on a second.  I’ve got some stuff here that might help.”
She reached into the case and produced a tiny tube.  Nathan looked down to see what the problem was.
“Shall I try, auntie?”
“No, no, Nathan.  Let me.  Just stand up straight, so I can see what I’m doing.”
“What is that stuff?”
“Just a lubricating gel…for stuck zips and things.  This should do it….there!  That’s better.  All done.  Now….”
She stood up and adjusted his pants, pulling and puffing them out fussily.
“See?  Do you notice the legs have nice smooth elasticated bands, so they’re completely waterproof?  And they’re not cut too high on the thigh.  In fact, they look almost like little shorts.  And there’s the little “Fashion Baby” logo on the thigh as well.  It’s perfect, this little ensemble – very fashionable.  You’ll be the envy of your friends!”
“My friends?  No way am I ever letting my friends see me in this, aunt!”
“Well, we’ll see.  I’m must say I’m rather surprised you don’t appreciate how chic this looks on you.  I think you’ve got so used to your dull old outfits that you just can’t see it.  I’m sure you’ll come round, though.  Let’s go and show your mummy, shall we?”
Catherine guided him out of the door.  He preceded her downstairs and into the kitchen, where his mother was making a cake.  He slouched reluctantly into the room, looking at the floor.  He was aware his mother had stopped mixing.  He heard her faint gasp of surprise.
“Well, Eleanor, what do you think?”
“Oh, Nathan!  That’s a very cool outfit!”
“There.  What did I tell you?  At least your mother has good taste!”
“Mum, I look stupid!  Why has auntie got me these clothes?”
“Nathan!  Don’t be so ungrateful!  Say sorry to your aunt at once!”
“Sorry, aunt.  But I really don’t think this suits me, you know.”
“Goodness me, Nathan,” said his mother, firmly, “if you don’t like that outfit, I really doubt if you understand fashion at all.  It’s probably not your fault.  I never put as much thought into your clothes as I did into Emilia’s.  I regret it now.”
“Well, mum, it’s not really the whole outfit I don't like, it’s just the pants and the pull-up, obviously.”
“You’re out of touch, Nathan,” said Catherine.  “This “baby” fashion is the happening thing.  I know, because I teach girls who are in touch with all the latest trends.  Didn’t you know about it?”
“No.  I don’t believe you.  It’s not true, is it?”
“It is,” said his mother.  “Here, I think I saw an article in one of Emilia’s magazines.  Where is it, now?  Ah, here it is.”  She flicked through.  “Yes, there you go – look at this.”
Nathan took the magazine.  There was indeed an article about a trend towards babywear for young people.  There was a picture of a teenage girl in a nappy holding a pacifier and a feeding-bottle.  He began to feel a bit less sure of himself.
“But this is for girls…it doesn’t say anything about blokes.”
“That’s just because it’s a girls’ magazine, dear.  Believe me, it’s for boys too.  Otherwise why would they make this stuff in such nice shades of blue?”
“Are you sure?”
“Of course, Nathan!”  exclaimed Catherine.  “I can assure you.  But it’s very new.  You’ll be right at the forefront in this outfit.”
Nathan was still dubious, and he looked suspiciously from his aunt to his mother and back again.
“Tell you what,” said Catherine, “I’m going to prove it to you!  Just let me grab a couple of things.”
And she dashed off upstairs. 

[Sandra B]

Chapter 31.  Somerville Academy.

Nathan looked at his mother.
“What’s she doing?”
“I think she has a plan, dear.  You know Auntie Cath.”
In a minute she was back again, holding a cloth bag.
“Come on, let’s go!”
“Where?”
“You’ll see.  Eleanor?  Back a bit later, okay?”
“Whenever, Catherine.  See you later.  Bye, Nathan!”
“Wait.  Where are we going?”
But Catherine had already bustled him outside, and shut the door.
“No.  Wait.  I’ve changed my mind.  I’m staying here.”
“Suit yourself.  Stand in the front garden by yourself if that’s what you want.  I’m getting in the car.”
And she walked off down the path, climbed into her car, and started the engine.
Nathan hammered at the door.  “Mum!  Mum!  Open up!  I’m staying!”  But there was no reply.  He realised his mother was not letting him back in.  He hesitated a  moment, and then, as Catherine started to pull slowly away, and he saw a bunch of boys approaching along the road, he made a mad dash for the car.  Catherine stopped and he jumped in beside her.
“Good decision, dear,” she smiled.  And they sped away.
“Where are we going?”
“Somerville.  I’m teaching last period this morning.”
“What?  So what am I supposed to do?”
“Come in with me?  I’ll prove to you that’s a great outfit.”
“What?  Come with you into school?  Forget it.  No way.  With all those girls there?  You’re joking.”
“Well I wasn’t, but sit in the car for an hour if you like.  If you won’t come in, you can’t be very sure of yourself.”
Nathan frowned, but didn’t reply.
“How old are those girls you teach?”
“Oh, this morning I’m teaching year nines.”
“Year nines?  A bunch of thirteen-year-olds?”
“Well, some are fourteen…”
“Like that’s any better.”
“It’s up to you.”
“Yeah.  It is.”
“There’s some cans in the glove box if you want a drink.”
“Thanks.  I will.”

Catherine drove into the school car park and parked.  She had her own space.  She sat there shuffling some papers together and looking for her pens.
“Be a darling and get my case out of the boot.”
Nathan checked around.  The place was deserted.  Everyone must be in lessons.
“Don’t worry.  There’s no-one about.  It’s third period.”
“Okay.”
He stepped out, went round to the boot, opened it, and pulled out his aunt’s briefcase.  He slammed the lid down.  As he did so there was a beep, and the car locked.  His aunt was standing by the car, grinning.  He looked at her, startled. 
“Open the car, aunt.  Please!”
“Can I have my briefcase, please?”
He handed it over.  “Please, aunt.  That’s not fair.  You tricked me.”
“I suppose I did.  But I told you – I just want to show you how cool you look.  At least come and meet a couple of my friends in the staffroom.”
She began walking away.
“Or stay here if you prefer.  Let’s see.  It’s an hour and twenty minutes till lunchtime.  It’s a nice day.  You can go and try out some of the outside gym equipment.  In any case, I’ll be back soon after the girls come out to lunch.”
“No!  Open the car!  You b…”
“Yes?”
“Nothing.”
“Well?  Are you coming, or staying.  I don’t mind which.”

The truth was that Nathan’s aunt had decided more than a week before that he needed teaching a little lesson.  Then she and Eleanor and Emilia had sat down together and discussed the whole matter.  Emilia had explained how, before his transformation, Paul had started getting into bad company, and aspiring to imitate it.  They were afraid Nathan might be heading in the same direction, especially after his outburst.  Both boys were naturally sweet and gentle.  Paul’s transformation had allowed him to revert to his true self, and they wanted something similar for Nathan.  But he was never going to submit to being girlified.  So Catherine had hatched her little plan.
“Leave it to me, girls.  It’ll take some organising, but I think I may have a way of instilling a touch of humility into our little hooligan.”
“You have a plan, Catherine.  I love your plans.  There always so….elaborate,” said Eleanor.

Well, Catherine’s plan was now unfolding.  So far, so good, she thought.  Let’s hope my colleagues and my girls play their parts well.  We’ll see.
Nathan followed his aunt nervously to the staffroom, looking around all the while for dangers.  He followed her in.  There were only three teachers inside, all sipping coffee and chatting.
“Ladies.  Can I introduce my nephew, Nathan?  I’ve brought him along to see how Somerville operates.  Nathan, this is Marcia, this is Winifred, and this is Teresa.”
Marcia and Teresa were quite young, probably not more than twenty or so.  Winifred was probably in her forties.  There was no hint of surprise or ridicule in their expressions.  He began to feel a bit more confident.
“Pleased to meet you,” he said, in a meek voice, his cheeks reddening despite himself.
“And you, young man,” smiled Winifred.  “That’s a very smart outfit.  I see you’re a bit of a fashionista.”
“I’m afraid our girls aren’t allowed anything as cool as that,” put in Teresa.  “They have to make do with their dull old uniforms when they’re at school.”
“That’s right,” added Marcia.  “You’re going to make them jealous if they catch sight of you.  So, Catherine, are you going to introduce him to your class?”
“Maybe.  I’m not sure he wants to meet them.  He doesn’t think much of girls on the whole.”
“Auntie, that’s not true!  You know it’s not!  That’s not what I said.  I like girls!”  He turned to the three teachers.  “I have a sister and I love her very much.  I get on well with girls.  It’s just that….well, my best friend was a boy, and then all of a sudden he decided he wanted to be a girl, and…well, I’m just not used to it yet.”
“Oh, I can understand that, Nathan,” said Winifred.  “It could be a bit of a shock.  But it’s much better for him to be what he wants to be.  You should support him.  It’s a brave thing to do.”
“Yes, I know.  I am going to support him.  I like him – her – very much, and I don’t really care what clothes she wears.”

He chatted away with the ladies quite happily.  All three were drinking coffee, and Marcia kindly made one for him as well.  By now he had lost all his self-consciousness.  Catherine suffered a minor twinge of remorse, but she quickly quashed it.  After a few minutes, Teresa looked at the clock.
“It’s nearly time, girls.  Eleven forty.  So are you going to brave Catherine’s horrible girls, Nathan, or would you prefer to stay here in the safety of the staffroom?”
It would have been difficult now for him to refuse.  He would have looked a bit of a wimp.  In any case, he had decided his new outfit must actually be quite trendy.  So, making a virtue of necessity, he said,
“Of course.  Let’s go, auntie.  Nice to meet you all.  Goodbye.”
“Bye, Nathan!” they chorused, smiling broadly.

[Sandra B]

Chapter 32.  9B.

He walked by Catherine’s side as she led the way to her classroom.  They got there just before the change of periods, and waited outside the door.  Then a loud bell rang, there was a clatter of footsteps from the adjoining rooms, and girls began to pour out into the corridor.  Nathan noticed he was getting quite a lot of astonished glances, which he took for admiration.  He preened himself inwardly.  Just then a teacher emerged from Catherine’s classroom.
“Hi Catherine.  They’re all yours.  A bit skittish today, I’m afraid.  Who’s this?”
“This is my nephew, Nathan.  Nathan, meet Annie.”
“Hi Annie.”
“Hi Nathan.  Cute outfit!  Well, must be getting along.  Good luck!”
“And you, darling.  See you at lunch.”
She turned to Nathan.
“Wait here just one moment.  I’ll settle them down and then bring you in.”
She went in and closed the door.  The corridor was mostly empty now, though a couple of girls were peeping at him around the corner of a classroom door.  They were giggling stupidly. Probably year sevens, he thought.  Annoying.  He could just hear Catherine’s voice through the door.  She was telling her class to “remember what I said”.  But what it was she had said he didn’t hear. Then the door opened again and Catherine appeared.
“Come on, Nathan.  Come in and meet my girls.”
With a little flutter of nervousness he entered the classroom.  There must have been about twenty girls in the class.  Many fewer than he was used to at Brook Lane.  They were all staring at him.
“Girls, say hello to Nathan.  Nathan is my nephew, and he’s a very good boy.”
There was a chorus of “Hi Nathan!”, “Hello Nathan!”  He nodded and smiled, and the whole class smiled back.  One girl at the back snorted loudly.  They all seemed very happy, exchanging remarks and laughing.  One girl had her head in her hands and her shoulders were shaking.  Nathan couldn’t work out whether she was laughing or crying.  It was not quite what he had expected.  He imagined his aunt would have them all under strict control.
“Lidia, that’s enough!  Sam, compose yourself or you can stand outside!  You too, Greta!  Miss Carter said you’d been a bit unruly today.  So please calm down, everyone.”
The commotion subsided into a sort of suppressed excitation.
“You’re cute!” shouted a dark-haired girl in the front row, with a big grin, and the whole class exploded in laughter.  Nathan blushed, but felt inwardly gratified.
“Sheila, do want to go outside?”
“No. miss.  But he is.  And I love the little bow-tie!”
There was a ripple of agreement.
“Then be quiet.  Quiet, all of you.  Nathan, perhaps it would be better if you went and sat down.  There’s a spare seat next to Daria, over there.”
“Miss, there’s one here, too!”
“And here, miss!”
“Quiet, girls!  Quiet, I said!   That’s better.  I know it’s quite a novelty to have a boy in class, but you must all settle down.  Right.  Let’s get on.  Last time we were discussing the care of babies and young children.  Alicia?  I believe you have a paper to read out?  Thank you.”
Alicia made her way to the front, turned to the class, and prepared to read from an exercise book.  However, before she could start she dissolved in a fit of coughing and giggles, her cheeks reddened, and she had to cover her face in an attempt to compose herself.  Catherine waited patiently. 
“What’s up with her?” whispered Nathan to Daria.
“Oh, she’s just a bit shy, that’s all.  It’s nervous laughter.”
“Oh, I see.”
Finally Alicia managed to control her “nerves” enough to begin to read her work.  Her paper was all about the feeding, nursing and care of babies.  She had got to the section about the type and use of nappies when she broke down again, and became so helpless with mirth she couldn't go on.
“Here, Alicia, give me your book and go and sit down,” intervened Catherine.  “I’ll finish it for you.”
As Catherine expatiated on the subject of nappies and changing mats and nappy rash and plastic pants, Nathan began to feel uncomfortable, not only mentally, but physically.  He’d drunk quite a lot that morning – tea at breakfast, a can of Fanta in the car, and then a coffee – and he needed to go to the toilet, and soon.  He put his hand up.  Catherine stopped reading.
“Yes, Nathan?”
“Please, miss.  I need to go to the toilet.”
“Okay.  Just down the corridor the way we came, and it’s on the left.  Off you go.”
He jumped up and made his way quickly to the door.  There were titters from the class.  He wondered what was so amusing, but things were getting urgent and he didn’t have time to linger.  He trotted along the corridor.  Ah, there it was.  Wow, so clean and fresh!  Not like Brook Lane.  He shut himself in the first stall, and went to unbuckle his pants.  What was wrong with the belt?  It was stuck.  Damn.  It wouldn’t move!  It must be that buckle again.  I thought auntie had fixed it!  Oh my god, I can’t undo it.  The plastic is too strong to break!  What am I going to do?  I want to go so much!
He burst out of the toilet and ran back down the corridor.  He opened the classroom door and called to his aunt.
“Auntie!  Please, can you help?”
“Wait a minute, dear.  Let me finish the essay and I’ll be right with you.”
“No!  Please!  Now!  It’s urgent!”  He could feel himself beginning to leak into his pull-up.
“Well don’t stand there dancing about like that!  Come and tell me what the problem is.”
Desperately he sprinted across the classroom.
“Let me whisper!”
“Goodness, what a fuss!  What is it that can’t wait a few minutes?”
“Please, aunt!”
“All right.  What then?”   She bent down a little so he could whisper in her ear.  But the class seemed to be in a ferment of excitement, and there was a hubbub of chatter and giggling.
“I can’t hear you.  Speak up.”
“I said, I can’t undo my pants!”
“What?  You want to dance?”
“Auntie!”  In desperation he shouted.  “Auntie!  I can’t undo my belt!  I’m going to wet myself!”
There was instant silence.  The girls were as one, riveted, eyes wide.
“Oh.  I see.  Come here then.”
She knelt down in front of her nephew and began fiddling with the belt.
“It does seem very stiff….”
But it was all taking too much time.  He couldn’t hold it any longer, especially with his aunt tugging at his belt.  All at once he knew he was going to give in.  As he flooded his pull-up, he let out a long sigh of relief.  Then his head dropped and he began to sob quietly.  Catherine let go of the belt and gingerly prodded the front of his pants.
“Oh.  Oh dear.  I think we’re too late.  Never mind.  Thank goodness you’re wearing a pull-up.”
“Has he done it, miss?”  Piped up an excited voice from the back.
“I’m afraid so, girls.  And it’s a big one by the feel of it.”
Pandemonium.  Banging of desk lids, whooping and whistling.  Applause.  Poor Nathan!  He stood there helplessly, hanging his head, excruciatingly conscious of the heaviness of his soggy pull-up and his now distended plastic pants.  And he was going to be so cool!
But there was worse to come.
“Now girls, calm down please.  That’s enough.  Thank you.  It’s of course very unfortunate that Nathan has had a little…er, accident.  But it gives us a wonderful opportunity to put what we have learnt to practical use, don’t you think?”
The class looked at her inquiringly.  Was she suggesting…?
“Yes.  Why don’t we change him?  It will be excellent training.  I have a fresh pull-up and all the necessary equipment with me… “
“No!” cried Nathan, horrified.  “No!  You can’t!  I won’t let you!”
“Yes, miss!   Yes!  Yes!  Yes!   Please!”
“Well, darling, you can’t stay like that all day, can you?  Best let us deal with it and you’ll soon be all nice and clean and dry.  Yes?”
“Not here, aunt, please…  Not in front of everyone…”
“I’m sorry, but you have no choice.  I’m not dragging you around the school looking for a spare room.  No, it’ll be done here, so accept it.  Girls?  Could you push those two front desks together, please?  And Diana?  Could you fetch two or three big towels from the gym?  Thank you.”

[Sandra B]

Chapter 33.  A Lesson in Childcare.

The preparations were soon made.  The desks, when pushed together, formed a longish low table.  Catherine folded the towels and laid them along it.
“Do any of you object to carrying on through the lunch-hour?”  Silence.  “Excellent.  I think you all have packed lunches today anyway, which you may eat later.  I’ll make sure we’re not disturbed.”
She took a key from her pocket and locked the classroom door. 
“There.  Now, I think it would be useful if we filmed this as a instructional video, don’t you girls?  Harriet, you’re the filmmaker, aren’t you?  Would you like to get the video camera?  By chance it’s right there in the stationary cupboard today.”
Nathan was retreating into a corner, shaking his head slowly in protest.  Catherine ignored him.  Harriet returned with the camera, and took up a position on top of the teacher’s desk, from where she had a perfect view of the changing table. 
“You all right up there, Harriet?”
“Yes, thank you, miss,” replied Harriet, peering through the viewfinder, “this is ideal.”
Catherine tested the towels.
“Good.  Nice and soft.  Gather round girls.  Before we start, I want everyone to put on a pair of surgical gloves from the box.  Good.  Could you hold the edges of the towels so they don’t move about?  That’s right.  Now, Nathan.  Come and lie down here, there’s a good boy.”
Nathan didn’t move.  He had pressed himself into the corner alcove, and showed no inclination to come out.
“Girls, could you help him please?”
“No!  You can’t!  Please don’t!” 
But willing hands dragged him from his refuge, peeled off his jacket, and pushed him, face down, onto the changing table.
Catherine had laid out all the necessaries on an adjacent desk, and she began by cutting his belt with scissors.
“Don’t worry, I have a spare belt.”
She tossed the cut one into the bin.  She didn’t want Nathan discovering it had been super-glued.
She prodded his pants.
“You can feel his pull-up is full.  Try, girls.  Go on.”
A dozen fingers prodded at his bottom.
“Miss!  It’s so wet it squelches when you press it!”
“Yeah!  He’s really done it good, hasn’t he?”
“So what’s the first thing we need to do?  Vivian?”
“Get his pants off.”
“Yes.  Get his pants off and wash them, so that they’ll be dry when we come to put them on again.  So let’s pull them off, carefully.  If two of you could pull the legs, and Alicia and I will pull down the waistband.  That’s it.  If a couple of you could wash them at the sink, and hang them up off the tap.  Thanks.”
“Next?  Sara?”
“Get the pull-up off, miss, and put it in a plastic bag.”
“Right.  Would two of you like to do that?”
Nathan, his face pressed into the towel, squirmed with embarrassment.  “Please….no…”
But his pull-up was already half way down his legs, his little pink bottom bare for all to see.  A ripple of delighted laughter ran round the huddle of girls.  Nathan pressed his thighs and his buttocks tightly together.  He was trembling slightly.  The girls disposed of the soaked pull-up, and returned to the table.
“Well, I’m sorry, but we can’t clean you up like that, Nathan.  Just relax and let us do our job.”
“No!”
“Oh, dear.  You see, girls, it can sometimes be like this.  You can’t force a baby to do what you want.  At least he’s not screaming as well.”
“So what do we do, miss?”
“I’ll try some gentle persuasion.”
She bent down and put her lips next to Nathan’s right ear.
“Listen carefully, darling,” she whispered as quietly as she could, “you need to let us do our job.  If you continue to resist, then this is what will happen.  You’ll be wearing your pretty little plastic pants to school tomorrow, but without a nappy.  Would you like that?  Would that impress your tough friends?  And I’ll let the girls make you open up.  So your going to lose both ways.”
“No,” Nathan groaned, out loud.
“Your choice,” she continued.  “Make up your mind now.”
There was no choice.  Slowly, he relaxed his muscles, and allowed Catherine to open his legs.  She went to work with the baby wipes, thoroughly cleaning his skin.  The girls took it in turns to emulate her.
“This is fun!” said Sheila.  “His skin is as smooth as a baby’s, anyway.  There’s just more of it!”
“Good job, girls.  Now let’s turn him over.  If you pull the towels over a little, then we can roll him…  That’s it.  Excellent.”
Poor Nathan lay there, one arm across his face, with everything on show.  Catherine was already working away with the wipes, cleaning every inch.  The girls were sniggering, but eagerly awaiting their turns. 
“Huh!” said Alicia, “It’s nothing.  I change my little brother all the time.  It’s no different.  And his thing's not much different either!”
Catherine stood back to let her students take over.  Sheila, seeing her back turned, took the opportunity to flick Nathan’s little willy, making him yelp with pain.  Her friends fell about laughing.
“Now girls, behave!  Have you finished?  Good.  So now it’s time for…?”
“Baby cream. miss?”
“That’s right.  We’ve got a nice big pot here, but don’t go too mad.  Who wants to start?”
In the event, everyone wanted to try at once, and soon a dozen pairs of hands were gently smearing and smoothing, with no regard whatsoever for Nathan's modesty.  He gritted his teeth, and said a silent prayer of thanks when he was finally turned back onto his front.
“Are you getting all this okay, Harriet?” Catherine asked. 
“Yes, miss.  It’s gonna be such a great video.  Every now and then I zoom in on his face.  It’s so funny.”
After the cream came the powder, and finally it was time for a clean pull-up.  They pulled it up to his thighs, then made him kneel so they could get it over his bottom.  He felt a sudden rush of relief as it snapped into place.  His pants were dry, and he hastened to pull them on.  Harriet was still filming, doing close-ups of his red face.  Catherine produced a new belt, and threaded it through the loops.  She buckled it up.
“Hmm.  This one seems okay,” she remarked.  “There was something wrong with that other one.”

There was fifteen minutes of lunch hour left, and the girls took their lunches and dragged Nathan into the playground, where they regaled their friends with the story of their lesson, making him the centre of attention.  Well, it’s what every boy wants, as Catherine remarked to Harriet.  The two of them stayed inside to review the video.
“I’ll take the camera home and upload this.  It may be useful,” said Catherine.  “You’ve done a great job, Harriet.  You’ve really got a talent for it.”
“So do I get a copy for my portfolio, miss?”
“Of course, Harriet.  But don’t tell the others.  They’ll all want one!”

Nathan remained with 9B for the rest of the day.  He learnt quite a lot about higher mathematics and about the geography of Europe.  His embarrassment slowly diminished in inverse proportion to his popularity, and at the end of the day many fond goodbyes were exchanged.  But it was such a relief to be heading home in Catherine’s car.
“Thank goodness that’s over, aunt.  Why did you let them do all that stuff to me?”
“Why?  Because it was a good lesson, and I hope it taught you a little humility and tolerance.”
“I suppose it did.  But I’ll still be glad to get these plastic pants off!”
“Who said you’re taking them off?”
“Well, you can’t keep me in them!”
“Can’t I?  I think, as long as I have the film Harriet made, I can keep you in them as long as I please.!”
“Auntie…please.”
“We’ll see.  But I suggest you be on your best behaviour from now on.”

[Sissy Little Girl]

Sandra B, excellent chapters.  Nathan had no idea that he was going to be the center attraction in class that day.  I think he is on that slippery road to babyhood.  Nathan will really learn humility and loads of embarrassment .
Thanks for the chapters and keep them coming, Sandra B.